Chapter 12 Past of the Hybrid: Blood Between Two Worlds
The gate was about to disappear.
Zagred rushed toward it, jumping into the air to enter. He entered… but his lower half was still outside.
Naz screamed, throwing the katana with all his might.
The katana flew through the air in a spinning motion… and pierced Zagred's foot, pinning him in place.
Zagred: "You damned human… what have you done?!"
Naz: "Give Chimini back!"
The gate was about to disappear. Seconds left. Sunlight was approaching.
The katana was stuck in Zagred's foot, preventing him from entering. His body became trapped between two worlds – his upper half inside the gate, the other half stuck outside.
Zagred, in pain – not physical pain, but psychological pain, fear of the sunlight – threw Chimini to the ground like a stone… her small body hit the ground hard.
Zagred: "Remove your sword, you damned human!"
Naz laughed maliciously: "A laugh out of control… a laugh of exhaustion and revenge." "There are no agreements with demons."
Suddenly… from inside the gate, shapes emerged like black hands, long, with sharp claws… they came out of the darkness and quickly grabbed the katana, pulled it from Zagred's foot… and tossed it away.
Then they pulled Zagred inside the gate.
The gate closed.
Silence.
Zagred, in a dark place, kneeling on his feet, gasping: "Oooh… oooh… oofff…"
"He almost got me."
A voice from behind him: "Because you are weak. Kehkehkekekeke…"
Zagred: "Why did you interfere? Who asked you to do that, Plumede?"
Plumede: "Because you are weak. And this is an opportunity for me to humiliate you. Now you owe me. Kehkehkeheeke…"
Zagred: "You bastard…"
The old woman: "Finally… the sun has risen."
The atmosphere began to breathe. The natural surroundings returned.
Naz was carrying Chimini, who had suffered a strong impact with the ground.
The old woman did not die. Her body was split in two, but her hybrid blood prevented her from dying immediately. Even Naz thought she was dead. But she suddenly opened her eyes… she whispered with difficulty: "I'm not done yet. Naaz… Naaaz… come here."
Naz walked toward her. He placed Chimini on the ground and sat in front of her.
Naz was heartbroken. The old woman was split in half. He didn't know if Chimini would survive after that strong impact.
Old woman: "Don't worry… she will be fine."
Naz, confused: "And you?"
Old woman: "I will be fine, don't worry. My life is over anyway. The strength I have left is not enough to heal myself or regenerate my limbs… but it is enough to save the girl."
She raised her hand and placed it on Chimini's head. She began to murmur formulas and symbols that Naz had never heard before.
Chimini's limbs began to tremble.
The old woman breathed with difficulty.
"Oooof… oooof… ah… oooof…"
Naz: "Stop… you're bleeding!"
"Don't strain yourself!" I'll find a solution right away.
Old woman: "I did what I could. The rest is up to her now."
Naz: "How… I don't understand."
"Will she survive?!"
"Speak! Will she live?!"
Old woman: "I activated her brain cells and healed her physical injuries. The rest, as I said before, depends on whether she responds or not."
Silence.
Naz: "What did Zagred mean when he said you are a hybrid?"
Old woman: "Yes, I am."
Naz: "Stop… what do you mean by hybrid?"
Old woman: "My father was from the Elph, and my mother was human."
Naz: "Elph… and human? How is that possible?"
Old woman: "It is fundamentally a great crime to have a relationship between creatures from different worlds. But they could not control their love. My father abandoned his world."
Naz: "Your father… abandoned his world?"
Old woman: "Yes. He lived with my mother in the human world."
Naz: "Why? For your mother's sake?"
Old woman: "Yes, for their love. But he paid the price with his life. Living in the human world shortens an Elph's lifespan. One day, someone came upon him and threatened him."
Naz: "Who came upon him? Who threatened him?"
Old woman: "The King of the Elph, who is my grandfather. He threatened that if he did not return with him, he would kill his family – his wife and children… After some time, my father thought it was just an empty threat to scare him into returning. But the opposite happened. One winter night, our house began to burn."
Naz: "Fire…? Who did this? No… don't tell me…"
Old woman: "We didn't understand what was happening. My father carried us and took us outside – me and my younger siblings. Then he went back to bring out my mother, who was trapped inside. But when he returned, he had already captured my siblings – except for me – and slaughtered them in front of me, my father, and my mother."
Naz: "In front of you…?!"
Old woman: "I couldn't process the scene… My mother fell to the ground, her tears wetting the earth… At that moment, my father's form changed into something like theirs."
Naz: "He transformed… like them? And did he win?!"
Old woman: "My father fought a battle with my grandfather's army and defeated them. But his power waned, and he had grown weak from living so long in this world."
Naz: "Did he face his father or not?"
Old woman: "Yes, he entered into one-on-one combat with his father. My grandfather was very strong and easily overpowered him. But what happened was not expected. My father gestured with his head toward my mother, who was drowning in her tears. She quickly understood his signal and did things I did not understand. She read texts, bit her hand, and began to quickly write symbols on the ground with her blood."
Naz: "Why did she do that?!"
Old woman: "Wait a moment. My grandfather tried to rush and stop her from completing what she was doing, but my father intervened and stopped him, despite his injuries. Then a gate opened beside my mother, its light blazing, blinding to the eyes."
Naz: "A gate… to where?!"
Old woman: "She grabbed me and rushed toward the gate. We crossed over to we knew not where – a place I had never seen before. But my mother did not survive. She died as soon as we crossed, because she was purely human. As for me, I was slightly harmed, but I did not die. Years and years passed. I found myself trapped in this world, unable to escape it. I don't know if my mother made a mistake in one of the formulas or symbols, but the truth is that my mother would never have gone to a place ruled by Lucifer. Years later, Lucifer appeared before me."
Naz: "Lucifer himself…?"
"You fought him… and survived?!"
Old woman: "I did not enter into a direct battle with him. He would easily win. One of his demons defeated me, named Megucola!"
Naz: "And why?" (In astonishment) "Megucola… so even he exists? One of the highest ranks."
Old woman: "Do you know him?" She coughs violently (write the sound of coughing up blood)
Naz: "Stop talking."
Old woman, breathing with difficulty: "Let me… let me continue… He wanted Elph blood to be able to cross into their world. But I am not a pure Elph. I am a hybrid, and that annoyed him. He left me in a miserable state, with severe injuries. I healed myself with difficulty… When I reached the age of 2000 years…"
Naz: "2000 years!!! How old are you now?"
Old woman: "Now, if my memory serves me… 2300 years…"
Naz was shocked, his eyes widening at the enormity of this number.
Old woman: "Anyway, I had settled in this kingdom, which is under the rule of a demon loyal to Lucifer. He cast a spell that turned everyone into demons after sunset every day. Until you came and freed me."
Old woman: "Until you came… and freed me."
Suddenly… the old woman raised her hand as if waving to people that no one else could see.
Naz: "What is this?!"
The old woman's eyes widened: "…They felt me… They have come back for me. They are calling me… I missed you."
Naz: "Who? Who came back?!"
End of Chapter